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Reminder: Texas Trichomoniasis Program Updates

Updates to the testing protocols for the Texas Trichomoniasis Program will go into effect on Friday, June 15th.

The Texas Trichomoniasis Program has entered its 10th year and considerable progress has been made in its initial years, but much is left to accomplish. The program is administered by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) with testing conducted by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL). TAHC established a Trichomoniasis Working Group at the start of the program to give affected groups an avenue to voice their concerns, opinions, and provide guidance. This group is composed of cattle ranchers, private veterinarians, livestock market owners, cattle organizations, university faculty, and TVMDL. At the most recent working group meeting, members unanimously agreed to strengthen testing protocols to ensure the program continues to move forward and protect all who are potentially impacted by trichomoniasis (trich). TAHC and TVMDL agreed with this recommendation. As this is an official regulatory control program in Texas, TVMDL will adhere to the recommended testing guidelines, therefore, beginning on June 15, 2018 the following guidelines must be adhered to by accredited veterinarians when submitting samples to TVMDL.

Samples submitted for PCR testing in either the Inpouch-TF or in PBS (phosphate buffered saline) for the Direct Smegma PCR must arrive at TVMDL within 96 hours (4 days) of collection. Arrival within 48 hours is highly recommended to ensure better sample quality. Samples arriving after 96 hours will not be tested.

Samples submitted in the Inpouch for culture must arrive at TVMDL within 48 hours of collection. Samples arriving after 48 hours intended for culture will not be tested by this method but can be tested by PCR if it was received within the 96 hours.

Samples submitted in the Inpouch TF will not be tested if it is expired on the day the test is conducted. Please check the date on the pouch before use.

Please ensure that the trich form is correctly filled out and official animal ID is recorded.

Samples that do not meet these guidelines will not be tested. These guidelines are to aid in maintaining the quality of the sample and therefore improve the accuracy and reliability of the results.

For information on the trich sample collection process (video) follow this link.